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Tom McCall photographs collection, 1905-1984

Overview of the Collection

Title
Tom McCall photographs collection
Dates
1905-1984 (inclusive)
1966-1975 (bulk)
Quantity
4.07 cubic feet  :  2734 photographs, 134 slides, and 400 negatives in 6 document boxes, 3 oversize boxes, and 1 oversize folder
Collection Number
Org. Lot 353 (collection)
Summary
Images in this collection document the family of Tom McCall (1913-1983), as well as McCall's careers in journalism, radio and television broadcasting, politics, and Oregon state government from 1905-1984, most notably his two terms as governor of Oregon from 1966-1975.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public. Photographic reproductions are available by contacting the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
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Biographical Note

Tom McCall (1913-1983) was born in Egypt, Mass., to Henry McCall and Dorothy Lawson McCall, who moved to Portland in 1909 and soon after to a ranch near Prineville on the Crooked River in central Oregon. McCall was graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in journalism in 1936. He started his career in journalism at the Moscow, Idaho, News Review and subsequently worked at The Oregonian and for KGW radio in Portland. McCall served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to January 1946 as a war correspondent.

McCall was married to Audrey Owen in 1939, and they had two sons, Thomas, Jr. (Tad), born in 1944, and Samuel, born in 1949. After his war service, McCall returned to Portland, where he hosted a nightly radio talk show on KEX. He continued to work in broadcasting until 1964, using his work as a way to keep in touch with public issues and as a forum for his own ideas. McCall started his political career by joining the Young Republicans. He came to the attention of Gov. Douglas McKay, who hired him as an assistant in 1949, a position he held until 1952. McCall ran for a U.S. Senate seat in 1954, losing to Edith Green. He ran for Oregon Secretary of State and won, serving from 1965 to1967.

McCall then served two terms as Governor of Oregon (1967-1975). He was a popular governor, largely because of his attention to public concerns and his determination to preserve quality of life in Oregon for future generations. He was best known for promoting the nation's first Bottle Bill, cleaning up rivers by controlling industrial pollution, promoting land use controls, and zoning beach areas to preserve public access. McCall also made famous the quote, "Visit, But Don't Stay," a catchphrase intended to keep Oregon's growth at a moderate pace. His words backfired, however, and Oregon population grew rapidly during his two terms.

After leaving the governor's office in January 1975, he returned to KATU television in Portland as a news analyst and traveled around the nation supporting bottle bills in other states. In 1978, he tried once again for the governor's office but lost the Republican primary to Victor Atiyeh. McCall died in 1983.

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Content Description

Images in this collection document the family of Tom Lawson McCall (1913-1983) and his career in journalism, radio and television broadcasting, politics, and the Oregon state government, most notably his two terms as Governor, 1966-1975. In addition to photographs of McCall, the collection includes images of his wife, Audrey, and various family members, including his parents, Samuel W. and Dorothy Lawson McCall, among others; and numerous local, state, and national politicians and government officials, including but not limited to Victor Atiyeh, Neil Goldschmidt, Edith Green, Mark O. Hatfield, Douglas McKay, Wayne Morse, Richard Neuberger, Bob Packwood, Oswald West, and Wendell William Wyatt.

In addition to photographs that came from Tom and Audrey McCall, the collection includes images from the Oregon Journal collection and others that were made for the biography, Fire at Eden's Gate, published by the Oregon Historical Society Press. The Oregon Journal photographs are identifiable by the newsprint captions attached to the verso, and the photographs from the book are marked "FAEG" on the verso. Photographers represented in this collection include Allen J. DeLay, Frank L. Allman, Alfred A. Monner, Nick Mills, and Carl E. Vermilya, among many others.

The photographs in the collection range from small black-and-white and color snapshots to oversize mounted and framed images or collages. Most of the photographs are loose, individual items, but the collection also includes seven albums assembled for various governors' conferences that Tom and Audrey McCall attended or hosted, as well as a few negatives and slides.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any reproduction useage. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Photographers and publications hold copyright to many images in this collection. Identity of the photographer or publication may be found on the verso of such photographs.

Preferred Citation

Tom McCall photographs collection, Org. Lot 353, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series and subseries:

  • Series A: Family and Personal Images, 1905-1982
  • Series B: Radio and Television News Analyst, 1944-1964
  • Series C: Assistant to Gov. McKay, 1949-1952
  • Series D: Political Activities, 1954
  • Series E: Secretary of State, 1965-1967
  • Series F: Governor, 1967-1975
    • Subseries 1: Campaigns and Issues
    • Subseries 2: Gov. McCall Portraits and Photographs
    • Subseries 3: Gov. McCall with Staff, Legislators, Officials, and Groups
    • Subseries 4: Gov. McCall with Individuals
    • Subseries 5: Conferences
    • Subseries 6: Building/Dam Designs, Groundbreakings, and Dedications
    • Subseries 7: Fairs, Festivals and Parades
    • Subseries 8: Awards, Ceremonies, Speeches, and Special Visits
    • Subseries 9: Trade Missions
  • Series G: Post-Governorship, 1976-1984
  • Series H: Locations, 1935-circa 1976, n.d.

Acquisition Information

Library accession nos. 16983, 18771, and 24601 and Photo accession no. 1984D160.

Processing Note

Initial processing incorporated photographs from the Oregon Journal newspaper held by the Oregon Historical Society and reproductions of photographs from many sources made for the biography, Fire at Eden's Gate, published by the Oregon Historical Society Press. These additions were retained in the collection during final arrangement and description.

The collection originally included many duplicate images, which were removed. Albums were removed from damaging bindings for preservation, but the album pages were retained in original order. Most framed photographs were unframed for preservation.

Separated Materials

The Tom Lawson McCall Papers are located in MSS 625 in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Manuscript Collections.

Related Materials

The official records of Tom McCall's service as Secretary of State and Governor are held by the Oregon State Archives in Salem. A guide to the records is available on the agency's website.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Governors' spouses--Oregon--Photographs.
  • Governors--Oregon--Photographs.
  • Governors--Staff--Oregon--Photographs.
  • Political campaigns--Oregon--Photographs.
  • Secretaries of State (State governments)--Oregon--Photographs.
  • State governments--Officials and employees--Photographs.

Personal Names

  • Atiyeh, Victor--Photographs.
  • Goldschmidt, Neil E., 1940- --Photographs
  • Green, Edith, 1910-1987--Photographs
  • Hatfield, Mark O., 1922- --Photographs
  • McCall, Samuel W. (Samuel Walker), 1851-1923--Photographs.
  • McCall, Tom, 1913- --Photographs.
  • McCall, Audrey, 1916- --Photographs.
  • McCall, Dorothy Lawson, 1888-1982--Photographs.
  • McKay, Douglas, 1893-1959--Photographs.
  • Morse, Wayne L. (Wayne Lyman), 1900-1974--Photographs.
  • Neuberger, Richard L., 1912-1960--Photographs.
  • Packwood, Bob--Photographs.
  • West, Oswald, 1873-1960--Photographs.
  • Wyatt, Wendell William, 1917- --Photographs.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Negatives.
  • Photograph albums.
  • Photographic prints.
  • Slides.

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Allman, Frank L. (photographer)
    • DeLay, Allan J. (photographer)
    • Mills, Nick, 1942- . (photographer)
    • Monner, Alfred A., 1909-1998. (photographer)
    • Vermilya, Carl E. (photographer)

Collection arranged and described by Mikki Tint and Mandy York Oates, 1997, and Sharon M. Howe, 2003
2003

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